Mentally prepared for a defeat and a 3-1 series scoreline.Somehow this time it doesn't feel too bad.I guess it is because this Aussie side has already over-achieved.I fully expected them to lose the series - wouldn't even have been surprised if they had lost 0-5.From that level of expectation (0-5 to ending it at a possible 3-1) is massive.

Its all clear from Australian 'Think tank', Agar will sits out despite, Curator predicts Track help to spinner as the game progress.Aus Go with Lyon only plus 3 fast bowler+ MM will be handy as 5th bowler.

Mason Crane will début tomorrow for England.Tourist expects to win before test series vs Newzeland in NZ.

Loose Halo,20 year old fast bowler, Jhye Richardson might not gets chance to play in any of 5 Games unless Ms or TYe left out for at least one game, I think he had couple of games in t20i vs Lanka but in FC his best is 71 with 21 wickets so he can bats little bit besides his fast bowling skills.

Yorkshire wrote:Shocking news coming from Australia as they dropped Maxwell for ODI vs England but I am sure he will be back in tri series in Febuary

Smith has said he wants more consistency from Maxie. He is only averaging mid 20s in limited overs. Not good enuff. Inconsistency has plaqued his career. Should Lynn come off then I see no way back in ODI for Maxwell. He is still a chance for the Saffer tour tho.

With Starc coming back, that'll bring Cook back to the player who averaged 13. Lyon will become a handful for Englands batsmen & we could struggle here. Cant see an England spin duo of Moeen & Crane giving Australia anything but easy runs. Looking like 4-0 to me.

Guess you have to make your Test debut some time but against a side with the momentum and confidence of Ashes winning Australia. Crane evidently impressed NSW Blues selectors last year as he was given a rare game for the state. Took a five for from memory. Since then he has not overly impressed against the CA X1 kids. He does bring variation..Aussie batsmen do not like playing the ball that spins both ways. In fact not a lot of batsmen do.

It is overcast in Sydney so I see swing master Jimmy doing some early damage should Root win toss and bowl. On other hand Starc could do similar damage should Smith also bowl first. All reports are the SCG deck retains plenty of green tinged grass. So the seamers will also like it. Will we finally get a fair contest between bat and ball.

The Aussie bowlers have been encouraged by the sight of a well-grassed SCG pitch, the first for the new curator/ground manager combination of Adam Lewis and Justin Groves. "We've made it to be a traditional SCG pitch," Groves said. "It will break up towards the end, the factor of the weather does come into it, but that's the way we've prepared the pitch.

Will the last Ashes match finally provide a fair contest between bat and ball?

What to expect: Although the SCG has a reputation for a turning pitch - Australia played two spinners in the last two Tests here - the early indications are that this surface may be more helpful for the seamers which should mean one spinner only per team. The forecast is for hot but changeable weather with cloud and rain forecast at various stages of the match.

Sydney has started summer with this unsettled weather. Sweltering one day.. cooler and wet the next. More spring than summer to be honest.

Could giving Crane his test debut today be a case of throwing the youngster to the lions? His selection mirrors that of Scott Borthwick in the corresponding game four years ago. How did he go after so much hype? 1-49 off 7 overs. Was his first and last test match.

Gotta think tho that the England camp have pulled off a knee jerk selection over the misdirected notion that the SCG is a spinners paradise.

That is a long way from the truth.

It may have been back in the 90s and can be curated to resemble one when needed today. But the SCG is nothing more than a good cricket wicket with plenty in it for the batsmen, pacers and spinners at the back end of the match.